Catherine’s on her bike for Diabetes UK

Cambridge student Catherine Maguire has set herself a huge challenge later this year!

The 21-year-old from Coleraine, who is currently on a year abroad working in the Breton city of Rennes, will cycle 282 miles from London to Paris for a charity that’s very close to her heart - Diabetes UK.

As a fourteen year old, Catherine, who is a former pupils of Coleraine High School, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

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Catherine tells: “I’m doing this in order to raise money for Diabetes UK. The charity cares for, connects with, and campaigns on behalf of people who live with diabetes, and those at risk of developing it.

“They are also engaged in efforts to find a cure for the condition.”

Catherine who studies Medieval Languages, will take part in the fund raiser in September.

She tells us more about the route and some of the sights she’ll be pedaling past: “I will be cycling the 282 mile route from Richmond, just outside London, to the centre of Paris. I’m relatively fit and I enjoy a challenge, so it’s just as well I set myself a big one..

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“We will set off from Richmond on September 4, riding through Surrey and Portsmouth, before boarding the ferry to Caen, in Normandy. The following day, we’ll be cycling past Pegasus Bridge before stopping over in Evreux.

“On the final day, we’ll be passing through the Seine Valley and the Parisian suburbs, before pedalling up the Champs Elysées and finishing up at the Eiffel Tower.”

Living in France, Catherine is getting in plenty of training: “France is pretty fanatic about cycling. The good weather means that it’s easy, and even enjoyable to get out and build up my endurance to ride longer distances with greater ease.

“As well as improving my cycling prowess, I’m also working on improving my general strength and fitness.”

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After her challenge, Catherine will be returning to Cambridge for her final year after which she hopes to do a law conversion degree

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fromldntoparis to donate to Catherine’s challenge.